Replaceable blade row crop ditcher with bedding rail

ABSTRACT

An Agricultural V-Shape Crop Ditcher Tool having a replaceable blade held between spring-tensioned members that are normally held apart, and a bedding rail attached to each wing of the tool to control lateral movement of the soil.

United States Patent 1 Hawkins 1 51 Jan.30,1973

[541 REPLACEABLE BLADE ROW CROP DITCHER WITH BEDDING RAIL [75] Inventor:Roy 1. Hawkins, Pierce, C010. [73] Assignee: Hawkins Mfg. Inc., Pierce,C010.

[22] Filed: July 29,1971

[21] App1.N0.'. 167,102

[52] US. Cl. ..172/719, 172/722, 172/753, 172/759 [51] Int.Cl. ..A0lb39/14, A01b 32/22 [58] Field of Search ..172/176, 701, 719, 724, 731,172/753, 757, 759, 769, 770, 761, 772, 733;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,271 5/1869 Kennedy..172/759 662,131 11/1900 Noble et a1... ..172/722 2,020,841 11/1935Lier ..172/719 2,096,766 10/1937 Self ..172/722 Goedken ..172/7192,673,511 3/1954 Roberts .172/722 2,764,924 10/1956 Degge ..172/7222,884,082 4/1959 Osterhaus ..172/719 3,005,502 10/1961 Teal ..172/7313,174,558 3/1965 Nelson 3,556,229 1/1971 Hawkins ..172/730 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 540,395 9/1949 Canada ..172/722 PrimaryExaminer-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerC. W. Hanor Attorney-WilburA. E. Mitchell [57] ABSTRACT An Agricultural V-Sh'ape Crop Ditcher T001having a replaceable blade held between spring-tensioned members thatare normally held apart, and a bedding rail attached to each wing of thetool to control lateral movement of the soil.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDJAN 30 ms 3 7 1 3 497 sum 1 OF 2INVENTOR R0 Y HAWK INS ATTORNEY PATENTEDJAN 30 ms 3.713.149 7 SHEET 2 OF2 I l/VVE/VT'OR ROY HAWK/NS ATTORNEY REPLACEABLE BLADE ROW CROP DITCIIERWITH BEDDING RAIL This invention relates to Row Crops Ditchers, FurrowOpeners or Corrigators in the farming industry, generally, and in thisembodiment, more particularly, to a Replaceable Blade Row Crop Ditcherused mainly in the irrigated farming areas, where an irrigation ditch isformed between spaced and growing rows of farm crops. My invention is animprovement on my prior US. Pat. No. 3,556,229, on replaceable bladecombination for duck-foot chisel, in the dry land farming art, and aswellas on my co-pending application, Ser. No. 155 of Series of I960,continuation of said patent, by way of adapting my novel replaceableblade previously developed in the dry land farming tool art in aCultivator or Ditcher Tool used in the irrigated farming art.

In row crop farming, of such crops as beans, corn, sugar beets and thelike, as soon as the crops grow an inch or two, as well as later invarious growing stages, the farmer has to cultivate laterally betweenthe rows thereof, usually by a conventional cultivator attached to thecross bar of a modern tractor and usually cultivating a plurality ofrows in one operation. In the central portion of the United States andother areas of adequate rainfall a slight cultivator plowing of thesurface between slightly growing rows is sufficient. But in the areas ofthe Western and Southwestern United States and other areas of less thanadequate rainfall, where constant irrigation of crops during the growingseason is required in addition to a so-called cultivating of the crops,another step is required, namely, the making of adequate smallirrigation ditches, usually between every other row of growing crops.The farmer connects a source of irrigation water at the higher end ofsuch row irrigation ditches and runs the water in those ditches toirrigate the crops.

The formation of such lateral row irrigation ditches has to be carefullymade so as to not damage the growing crops. For that purpose,heretofore, a straight plane ditcher has been used, to form the ditchbetween a pair of growing rows, but, so far as known, same has at thesame time thrown dirt up on top of each growing row and thus damaged orthereby blighted the small growing crop. To overcome that crop damage, Ihave developed my novel row crop ditcher having a socalled bedding-railon each side thereof, which prevents a so-called splashing or excessspreading of the dug dirt from the newly formed ditch, formed by myditcher, from being pushed too far outwardly or onto the growing rows.

Also heretofore conventional ditchers have become worn out too rapidly,due to hard compacted or heavy soil conditions 'and the presence ofgravel in the soil,

and as a result the entire ditcher unit had to be discarded too oftenand a new one purchased. To overcome that difficulty, I have designed mynovel irrigated row crop replaceable ditcher blade of a nature wherebythe cutting edge portion thereof may be replaced with a new one, withouthaving to completely discard the entire unit, and thereby saveconsiderable expense for the farmer. I have developed my novel V-shapedreplacement cutting edge portion, in combination with my V- shapedrow-crop plow ditcher having my novel bedding rail protector.

Normally, a ditcher, of the type and for the purpose described, is of apointed or V-shaped wedge-like construction, to be pulled through theground, to thus drag-form an irrigation ditch. A plurality of thoseditchers is mounted on the conventional tool push or tow bar of atractor, as the case may be, so that there is one usually between eachgrowing row, usually about every 20 to 22 inches apart, so as to form aditch between growing rows as the tractor proceeds down the field in therows. Each of my ditchers is substantially adapted to form a ditch from2 to 12 inches wide and of shallow or comparatively deep depth,depending upon the size ditcher being used and a setting of its rigidvertical shank bar, in turn rigidly secured to the tractor tow or pushbar.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a novel row cropditcher unit having a replaceable blade portion in combination with mynovel bedding rail protector thereon, with the latter designed toprevent the dirt from the thereby newly formed ditch by my ditcher fromsliding completely up and over the ditcher and from being pushed ontothe adjacent growing crop rows on each side of the new ditch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel adapter clampcombination with my V-shaped ditcher so as to permit removal of thecutting edge of the ditcher upon a wearing thereof and the installationof a new blade in lieu thereof.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing explanation and the drawing, in which:

FIG. I is an elevational front view of my novel replaceable blade rowcrop ditcher;

FIG. II is a side view thereof, showing attachment of the pivotallyadjustable rigid shank carrying arm, and which arm has its upper endconventionally adapted to be secured to and carried by a tractorhorizontal tool bar;

FIG. "I is a reduced exploded view of the parts of my novel ditcher;

FIG. IV is an enlarged elevational rear view thereof; and

FIG. V is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. IV.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numbers will be used todesignate like parts.

It is to be borne in mind that heretofore, in the dry land replaceableblade chisel art, as in my heretofore referred to patent, a rigidfrog-foot has been provided on the underside of the tractor carryingunit for, carrying such a blade unit thereon, and to accomplish areplaceable blade the chisel blade unit and including its springtensioned matrix rested on top of and was carried by said frog-foot,with the matrix yoke of the unit being operable .on and above thatfrog-foot carrier. Further, in the use of the heretofore conventionalreplaceable chisel blades, in the dry land farming indusfrom beingthrown outwardly from the ditcher, to prevent covering up the growingparallel rows on each side of the ditcher as the ditch is dug. Ihaveperfected a novel combination having a bedding rail on each side of mywedge shape irrigated row crop ditcher, to assure that the dirt flaredthereby does not spread out too far and thus damage the crop rows, butthat, instead, as the ditch is formed thereby that the dug dirt isthereby substantially bedded in place, instead of being flaredoutwardly. That so-called bedding causes more friction against my novelditcher then would normally otherwise occur and thus results in aquicker wearing of the lower extremity of the ditcher or of the cuttingedges thereof. I have therefore designed my novel row crop ditcher ashaving a replaceable cutting edge or blade, meaning, that the lowerextremity thereof can be removed from the unit without having to discardthe expensive remaining upper part of the unit, when the lower cuttingedge becomes too worn to be useful.

With the foregoing explanations in mind, I will now explain the parts ofmy novel Replaceable Blade Row Crop Bedding Rail Ditcher.

I conventionally suitably, rigidly and downwardly mount an extended armor shank 41, carried by and from a conventional horizontal tool barmounted on a tractor, not illustrated. That tool bar is usuallyconventionally adjustable, in terms of being rotatable and so as to beset in any rotational adjustment thereof. The shank 41 is a rigid spokeor radial extension from such a tool bar. I pivotally adjustably mounteach one of my novel row crop ditchers at the lower end of each of sucha shank arm 41, by pivoting same between a parallel pair of spaced cars41 mounted, as by welding, on the upper part of my blade, as shown inFIG. 2. The lower end of each arm 41 is conventionally pivoted by asuitable pivot bolt 40 to and between the lower portions of spacedmembers 20. A parallel pair of identical bayonet curved slot openings 17are formed in the upper portion of members 20. As illustrated in FIG.2,1 rigidly secure the ditcher to arm 41 by means of a locking stud-bolt42, having an enlarged head on one outer end and a conventional lockwasher and nut on its other threaded end. Bolt 42 has a lock nut andextends through the bayonet slots 17, and with the bolt through anopening in 41 provided for the purpose, as illustrated, for thus fixedlylocking the vertical angular positioning of my blade unit upon lock nutsetting of that bolt, as desired, by a holding of my members 20, on andwith relation to the arm 41, for reason to be explained.

I secure the members vertically rigidly, as by welding, in spacedparallel relation to each other, at their lower ends to a transverserigid plate 14. My ditcher, indicated generally as 10, hangs as a rigidpart of and from said plate 14, by being secured thereto, as will beexplained. I provide a first or upper rigid horizontal V or wedge-shapedblade portion 1 l, with its upper edges securely rigidly welded at 15 tothe underside of cross plate 14, as shown in FIG. IV. I then provide aspring tensioned hinge flap 12 at the rearside of each wing of thatwedge blade 11. I weld the upper edge of each flap 12 to the adjacentupper parallel edge of a side of said first V-shaped blade 11, byconventionally welding said edges together at 13 and with the lower edgeof each flap 12 during that welding being held in spaced parallelrelationship out and away from the adjacent parallel lower portion ofthat side of blade 11, in the dotted line position of 12 shown in FIG.4. It will thus be seen that the welded edge acts as a springtensionedhinge for purpose of normally holding each flap 12 in open position, asso illustrated in dotted lines of FIG. 4. I provide a plurality ofcompression bolts as holding means for compressing a flap 12 against itssaid hinge tension and against its adjacent wing side, of 11 when thebolt is secured in place, as illustrated. Each bolt is inserted throughan aligned pair of openings formed in each of outer blade 11 and alsothrough the inner or rear adjacent hinge flap 12, as illustrated. On thefront or outer surface of 11, each bolt has an enlarged rounded head18a, and the .other or under side end of each bolt is conventionallyscrew-threaded and provided with a lock washer and conventional screwnutat that end. Thus, when a compression bolt is tightened, by a turning ofits nut on the threads of its bolt to affect a tightening thereof thenthe hinge flap l2 thereunder will be swung on its hinge edge and tightlyheld against the adjacent wing 11 back side of the V ditcher blade 11against the spring-tension of spring weld-hinge upper edge of 12. It isto be noted that each of my novel hinge flaps 12 are not directlysecured to the rigid cross member 14, as is each wing of my blade 11,but each hinge flap is free to hingedly move on and by its weld hinge,so that, as explained, when the nut 18 of each bolt is released thatthen the spring-tension of the weld hinge will cause the flap 12 tonormally be thereby positioned in the dotted line outward position, asat 50 of FIG. IV, or in open position of that hinge flap, for reason tobe explained.

I provide a rigid bedding rail 60, at substantially a right angleprojection from the exterior of each wing of my novel ditcher 11, asillustrated, and for the reason, heretofore given, to cause the dirtfrom the newly dug ditch by operation of my ditcher to be thereby beddedor prevented from being spread out onto the newly growing adjacent row.I form those bedding rails of suitable cross-sectional angle iron andremoveably secure them to blade 11, as illustrated.

I provide spaced openings in the upright flange portion of each rail 60,adapting the compression bolt 18 to be extended therethrough, so thatthe enlarged head of a bolt is on the outside of the rail, for asuitable holding of the bedding rail to blade 11, as illustrated. 1 formeach bedding rail substantially of a 2 inch angle iron. The front endsof each bedding rail at the wedge apex point of my unit 10, asillustrated in FIG. 1, abut each other but are not attached together. Iweld a rigid coupler rod finger member 61 to the under rear side of theinner front prow edge of my first or upper wedge shape ditcher blade 11,and so that it protrudes downwardly a slight distance, as shown in FIG.IV, and as will be explained.

As illustrated in FIGS. IV and V, the lower half 30, of my novelV-wedge-shaped ditcher unit 10, is similarly formed and horizontallyshaped and of extended plane and angular configuration to align with myfirst or upper blade 11 thereof. Lower blade 30 is adapted to beinserted upwardly into the same plane extended position with blade 11,as shown in FIG. IV. The upper edge of lower blade 30 has an inclinedbevelled edge and aligns with and abuts with the lower inclined bevellededge of upper blade 11, and with its upper edge positionedbetween thelower edge 12a of hingeflap 12, of each wing of the first unit 11, andthe lower edge of that wing of upper blade 11, and with the front appexof the lower unit 30 positioned so that the coupler shank 61 of 11 isinside of the appex of 30, as shown. It will thus be apparent that itwill be necessary to release each of the compression nuts 18, to thusopen each hinge flap 12, by its spring tension hinge 13, as shown indotted lines of FIG. 4, when desired to replace a worn lower blade 30from therebetween. Upon such a loosening of the nut-bolts l8 and thushinge l3 spring-opening of the hinge flaps 12, the lower blade unit 30will be released and can be taken downwardly out from between 11 and 12on each side and then a new blade 30 can be inserted upwardlytherebetween in its stead. After insert of the new blade 30 into thatupward position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, with its upper bevelled edgesabutting the lower bevelled edges of the upper blade 11 and betweenthose edges of wings 11 and hinge-flaps 12, then each bolt nut can bescrew-tightened to securely clampingly thereby hold the unit together asa composite single solid rigid unit. That holding is accomplished by thehinge clamps 12 being held tightly against their adjacent respectiveback sides of the inside of the lower blade 30, by each of hinge-flaps12 being compressed by its bolts 18 against itsspring-tension-weld-hinge l3, and thus the lower blade 30 is heldrigidly to and as a solid extended part of the upper blade 11, asillustrated in solid lines in FIGS. 4 and 5. I provide the bevelledlower edges of the upper blade unit 11 and also aligned bevelled upperedges of the lower unit 30, as illustrated, to assist in that straightline or extended plane solid holding, of 30 to 11, by flaps 12 on suchbolt compression, just explained. It is to be further noted that eachhinge flap 12 has its lower edge 12a extending downwardly on the insideof unit 10 to a point below the lower edges 11a of the top blade orfirst unit 11. Thereby that wedge holding of the upper edges of lowerunit 30 in extension of and to upper unit 11 upon a tight compression offlaps 12 to 11, with 30 pressed in between them, caused by the lockingfull threading of the nuts 18 on their respective bolts, is betterfulcrum accomplished, on ditcher use of my unit 10, when pressurerearwardly of the unit at lower edges 70 occurs.

I proportion a usual size of my novel irrigation row crop ditcher: witheach lower edge 70, on each side, being about sixteen inches long; withthe open end of the V-wedge atits rear, as shown in FIG. 4, being about12 inches horizontally apart at said lower edges; with each side of theunit 10 wedge being at about a 45 degree angle to the vertical; and withsaid side of the wedge being about five inches in vertical measurementheight from its lower edge 70 to the plate 14.

However I do not wish to be bound by those exact sizes or by theillustrated angular relationship nor positioning of the bedding rails60, as a great variance can be made therein, within the teachingshereof.

It will be seen, in FIGS. 1 and 2, that when the lower edge of my novelunit 10 is held by its arm 41 with that lower edge in a horizontalposition, and with the tractor tool bar adjusted so that as the tractormoves forwardly, that said lower edge of my ditcher 10 is in the ground,that a flat ditch will be formed thereby. Also,

that if my unit 10 is adjusted and held with its left hand wedge apexpoint, as illustrated in FIG. 2, fixed lower than the right portionthereof, that then a V-shaped ditch will be formed as theditcher ispulled forwardly through the ground. Also that the farther my ditcherunit 60 is held into the ground, with its apex wedge lowermost, that awider ditch will be made, within the limits of the total width betweenthe spread ends of the wings of the V-unit 10.

It will be apparent that many changes and modifications may be made inmy novel replaceable blade bedding rail row crop ditcher combinationwithout diviating from the spirit and scope thereof. I, therefore, wishto be bound only by the hereunto appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by letter patent is:

1. In a replaceable blade row crop ditcher, in combination, a rigidcarrier arm secured to and carried by a machine tool bar, a rigid platepivotally adjustably carried by an end of said carrier arm, means foradjustably pivotally horizontally carrying said rigid plate thereby, afirst angular wedge shape ditcher blade fixedly secured to and carriedby said horizontal plate, a pair of spring-tensioned hinge-flaps witheach secured to a rear side of said first wedge blade and with the loweredge of each flap extending below and normally held by its spring-hingein spaced relation from its adjacent rear side of said blade, means forso spring-tensionally hinging an upper portion of each of said flaps toits adjacent rear portion of said first wedge blade, each of said hingeflaps and its adjacent portion of said first blade having aligned boltopenings therethrough, bolt compression means each extending through apair of said aligned openings and adapted upon compression thereof tosecure its hinge flap tightly against the rear of its portion of saidfirst blade and against the spring tension of the hinge-flap, a beddingrail member protruding from and held to the outside portion of a side ofsaid wedge first blade opposite from its rear hinge flap side and havingan opening therein adapted also to receive a said bolt compression meansextending therethrough for said bolt means also holding said beddingrail to said first flap upon said compression of the bolt compressionmeans, and a second wedge shaped ditcher blade of similar angularconfiguration to said first blade and adapted to be held substantiallyin prolongation extension of the plane of the first blade by having itsupper portion inserted between said hinge flaps and the lower portion ofthe first blade and adapted for being removably held therebetween as acontiguous plane part therewith upon a securement of each boltcompression means so securing its hinge-flap against the rear of saidfirst blade.

2. In combination, in a row crop ditcher replaceable blade and beddingtool,

a. a first earth ditcher tool blade having a lower edge and adjustablypivotally fixedly connected to and carried by a tool bar of a farmmachine and adapted to be positioned to be held either horizontally orat an angle to and with relation to the direction of the machine travel;

. means for so adjustably pivotally connecting said blade to said toolbar;

0. a spring-tensioned hinge-flap secured to the rear of the blade, withrelation to the direction of machine travel, and adapted to have a partthereof normally tensionally held by its hinge in spaced relationshipfrom said rear of said first blade;

c. an aligned bolt opening in each of said blade and said flap;

e. a compression bolt means extending through said openings and adaptedon compression to bind the flap tightly to the blade and against itshinge tension;

5. a projected bedding rail secured to and extending from the front ofsaid blade, in terms of direction of machine travel; and

g. a second earth ditcher tool blade having an upper edge and formedsubstantially of similar configuration to the first blade and having itsupper edge formed in alignment with the lower edge of the first bladeand adapted to be removeably held substantially in plane alignmentdownwardly in continuation from and as an integral part of said firstblade upon said second blade upper edge being inserted between saidfirst blade lower edge and said hinge flaps with said compression boltholding means removably securing the upper edge of the second bladebetween said hinge flaps and said first blade.

3. In a row crop ditcher replaceable blade and bedding tool, incombination, a rigid carrier arm secured to and carried by a tractor, arigid plate means pivotally adjustably fixedly carried by the carrierarm, means for so pivotally adjustably fixedly carrying said plate, afirst V-shaped ditcher blade having a lower inclined bevelled edgesurface and fixedly secured to said plate, a second V-shaped ditcherblade having an upper inclined bevelled edge surface adapted to matewith the lower inclined edge surface of the first blade so as to form acontinuous blade plane surface, holding means including aspring-tensioned normally open hinge carried by one or the other of saidfirst or second blades for effecting a holding of said two bladestogether and against said tension to form such continuous blade planesurface, and a bedding rail attached onto one of said blades and adaptedto control the lateral movement of the soil upon ditcher tool operation.

4. A row crop ditcher replaceable blade and bedding tool combination, asdefined in preceeding claim 3, and characterized further by definitionof said means for adjustably pivotally fixedly carrying the plate by thecarrier arm including two identical spaced apart parallel memberssecured to and extending vertically from said rigid plate and to andbetween which parallel members said carrier arm is so adjustablypivotally fix edly carried.

5. In combination, in a row crop ditcher replaceable blade and beddingtool,

a. a first earth V-shaped ditcher tool blade having a lower edgeinclined surface and adjustably pivotally fixedly connected to andcarried by a tool bar of a farm machine and adapted to be operablycarried by said bar either horizontally or at an angle to and withrelation to the direction of the machine travel;

. means for so adjustably-pivotally fixedly connecting said blade tosaid tool bar; c. a spring-tensioned hinge flap holding means secured tosaid first blade, and adapted to have a part thereof normallysubstantially held in spaced relationship from said first blade;

. a bedding rail secured to and extending outwardly from the plane ofthe front of said first blade;

e. A second earth V-shaped ditcher tool blade having an inclined upperedge surface adapted to mate with the inclined lower edge surface of thefirst blade and formed substantially of similar configuration to thefirst blade and adapted to be removably held by the hinge flap holdingmeans substantially in plane alignment downwardly in continuation fromand as an integral part of said first blade upon said second blade upperedge inclined surface being inserted against the lower edge inclinedsurface on insert of said second blade upper edge between said firstblade lower edge and said hold-ing means; and

f. means extending between said first blade and said hinge flap holdingmeans and secured to one or the other thereof for effecting a removableholding of the second blade to the first blade in said plane extensionalignment by and between the hinge flap and the second blade.

1. In a replaceable blade row crop ditcher, in combination, a rigidcarrier arm secured to and carried by a machine tool bar, a rigid platepivotally adjustably carried by an end of said carrier arm, means foradjustably pivotally horizontally carrying said rigid plate thereby, afirst angular wedge shape ditcher blade fixedly secured to and carriedby said horizontal plate, a pair of spring-tensioned hinge-flaps witheach secured to a rear side of said first wedge blade and with the loweredge of each flap extending below and normally held by its spring-hingein spaced relation from its adjacent rear side of said blade, means forso spring-tensionally hinging an upper portion of each of said flaps toits adjacent rear portion of said first wedge blade, each of said hingeflaps and its adjacent portion of said first blade having aligned boltopenings therethrough, bolt compression means each extending through apair of said aligned openings and adapted upon compression thereof tosecure its hinge flap tightly against the rear of its portion of saidfirst blade and against the spring tension of the hiNge-flap, a beddingrail member protruding from and held to the outside portion of a side ofsaid wedge first blade opposite from its rear hinge flap side and havingan opening therein adapted also to receive a said bolt compression meansextending therethrough for said bolt means also holding said beddingrail to said first flap upon said compression of the bolt compressionmeans, and a second wedge shaped ditcher blade of similar angularconfiguration to said first blade and adapted to be held substantiallyin prolongation extension of the plane of the first blade by having itsupper portion inserted between said hinge flaps and the lower portion ofthe first blade and adapted for being removably held therebetween as acontiguous plane part therewith upon a securement of each boltcompression means so securing its hinge-flap against the rear of saidfirst blade.
 1. In a replaceable blade row crop ditcher, in combination,a rigid carrier arm secured to and carried by a machine tool bar, arigid plate pivotally adjustably carried by an end of said carrier arm,means for adjustably pivotally horizontally carrying said rigid platethereby, a first angular wedge shape ditcher blade fixedly secured toand carried by said horizontal plate, a pair of spring-tensionedhinge-flaps with each secured to a rear side of said first wedge bladeand with the lower edge of each flap extending below and normally heldby its spring-hinge in spaced relation from its adjacent rear side ofsaid blade, means for so spring-tensionally hinging an upper portion ofeach of said flaps to its adjacent rear portion of said first wedgeblade, each of said hinge flaps and its adjacent portion of said firstblade having aligned bolt openings therethrough, bolt compression meanseach extending through a pair of said aligned openings and adapted uponcompression thereof to secure its hinge flap tightly against the rear ofits portion of said first blade and against the spring tension of thehiNge-flap, a bedding rail member protruding from and held to theoutside portion of a side of said wedge first blade opposite from itsrear hinge flap side and having an opening therein adapted also toreceive a said bolt compression means extending therethrough for saidbolt means also holding said bedding rail to said first flap upon saidcompression of the bolt compression means, and a second wedge shapedditcher blade of similar angular configuration to said first blade andadapted to be held substantially in prolongation extension of the planeof the first blade by having its upper portion inserted between saidhinge flaps and the lower portion of the first blade and adapted forbeing removably held therebetween as a contiguous plane part therewithupon a securement of each bolt compression means so securing itshingeflap against the rear of said first blade.
 2. In combination, in arow crop ditcher replaceable blade and bedding tool, a. a first earthditcher tool blade having a lower edge and adjustably pivotally fixedlyconnected to and carried by a tool bar of a farm machine and adapted tobe positioned to be held either horizontally or at an angle to and withrelation to the direction of the machine travel; b. means for soadjustably pivotally connecting said blade to said tool bar; c. aspring-tensioned hinge-flap secured to the rear of the blade, withrelation to the direction of machine travel, and adapted to have a partthereof normally tensionally held by its hinge in spaced relationshipfrom said rear of said first blade; c. an aligned bolt opening in eachof said blade and said flap; e. a compression bolt means extendingthrough said openings and adapted on compression to bind the flaptightly to the blade and against its hinge tension; f. a projectedbedding rail secured to and extending from the front of said blade, interms of direction of machine travel; and g. a second earth ditcher toolblade having an upper edge and formed substantially of similarconfiguration to the first blade and having its upper edge formed inalignment with the lower edge of the first blade and adapted to beremoveably held substantially in plane alignment downwardly incontinuation from and as an integral part of said first blade upon saidsecond blade upper edge being inserted between said first blade loweredge and said hinge flaps with said compression bolt holding meansremovably securing the upper edge of the second blade between said hingeflaps and said first blade.
 3. In a row crop ditcher replaceable bladeand bedding tool, in combination, a rigid carrier arm secured to andcarried by a tractor, a rigid plate means pivotally adjustably fixedlycarried by the carrier arm, means for so pivotally adjustably fixedlycarrying said plate, a first V-shaped ditcher blade having a lowerinclined bevelled edge surface and fixedly secured to said plate, asecond V-shaped ditcher blade having an upper inclined bevelled edgesurface adapted to mate with the lower inclined edge surface of thefirst blade so as to form a continuous blade plane surface, holdingmeans including a spring-tensioned normally open hinge carried by one orthe other of said first or second blades for effecting a holding of saidtwo blades together and against said tension to form such continuousblade plane surface, and a bedding rail attached onto one of said bladesand adapted to control the lateral movement of the soil upon ditchertool operation.
 4. A row crop ditcher replaceable blade and bedding toolcombination, as defined in preceeding claim 3, and characterized furtherby definition of said means for adjustably pivotally fixedly carryingthe plate by the carrier arm including two identical spaced apartparallel members secured to and extending vertically from said rigidplate and to and between which parallel members said carrier arm is soadjustably pivotally fixedly carried.